


Fate and Fade

by smallorbits



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-10
Updated: 2016-02-10
Packaged: 2018-05-19 11:45:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,814
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5966208
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smallorbits/pseuds/smallorbits
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jongin finds first loves. Lu Han wants to find his first love. Inspired by/partly based on the 2010 K-movie Finding Mr. Destiny.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fate and Fade

  
  
Everyone remembers their first love.  
  
Jongin's first love was the noona next door.  
  
They grew up together, sharing popsicles on hot summer nights and later, when she had been old enough and him much too young, stolen beer and cigarettes. She pushed him against the wall and gave him his first kiss. It was messy- the smell of her cherry lipstick made him gag, their teeth clacked against each other and the way she tugged his hair hurt. She broke off halfway laughing and at loss at what to do, Jongin laughed with her. It was perfect.  
  
He might have been a little too much in what he thought was love.  
  
Then she moved away to America to become a doctor. The first case he took when he opened his agency was for himself, and he found that she has since married another doctor, with one young child. Her family is cute, one of those happy wholesome poster families that go to the beach on Sundays and have ice cream after. He still misses her sometimes.  
  
  
  
  
  
Why does he do what he does?  
  
He sells a promise.  
  
The name cards stacked up on his desk read like this:  
  
  
  


**First love agency**  
_We find first loves and repair dreams_

  
  
  
There is no 'we', because Jongin is a one man team, but it sounds more assuring than 'I'. After all, there's a lot of money and hope on the line.  
  
In short, he deals in memories.  
  
  
  
  
  
The abandoned newspaper on the table announces that it's the first day of spring but it’s still unnaturally cold. A robin is perched on the windowsill, pecking away at unseen insects. Jongin pushes the window open and sticks his head out, scaring the bird away. The sun is bright and the blue sky is unmarred by clouds. If he breathes in, he can smell the croissants from the bakery on the corner of the street, tinged with the exhaust from the cars of Seoul.  
  
It's on this day that Jongin meets Lu Han.  
  
A knock on the door catches Jongin's attention and he shuts the window. "Come in!"  
  
A blonde haired head pops in, followed by a lanky body, like the unfolding of a jack-in-the-box. "Hello, is this where I can find my first love?"  
  
Jongin puts on his best smile. It’s always good to maintain a nice first impression, especially since most people come in thinking that is services are a joke. "You've come to the right place."  
  
"Oh." The man looks lost for a moment, hovering near the exit with one foot pointed towards the door. His body posture shows that he’s ready to bolt any second now, so Jongin folds himself into the armchair behind his desk and gestures for the man to sit. After a quick glance at the door, the man relents, perching himself stiffly on the edge of the chair opposite Jongin. "I'm Lu Han."  
  
Lu Han is pretty. Even though his muscles are prominent enough to hint at long hours in the gym, there's something about the soft edges of his face that makes him look fragile. This is the face of heartbreak, both for Lu Han himself and for the countless girls that willingly give their hearts to him, only to be rejected because there is only room for one. This is the face of a man who gives his all to a girl who is only interested in his face and will flit to another when she feels bored. These are the faces that bring him the most money.  
  
Jongin smiles to himself. This should be an easy case.  
  
  
  
  
  
"I want to find my first love," Lu Han says, Korean soft and carefully pronounced. There's the slightest hint of a Chinese accent in there, less prominent than when the yoga instructor from the gym across the road, Zitao, tries to speak it, but enough for Jongin to know that he isn't Korean.  
  
"Not from around here, are you?" Jongin asks, even as he opens a cupboard and pulls out a can of tea leaves. He busies himself with pouring out the tea, a nice rich Pu Er. He's always liked Chinese tea, and maybe Lu Han would ease up at the taste of home. Clients seem to like it when he does little things like these. It makes him seem attentive and it reassures clients enough for them to place an exorbitant amount of money in Jongin to find what they lost.  
  
Lu Han shakes his head and stares down at his hands. They are pretty hands with long, thin fingers. "I'm from Beijing, but I went to university here."  
  
One of those Korean majors, probably. Jongin's seen enough of those when he worked at the pork hocks place near Korea University. "Korean fine?" Jongin asks, just out of courtesy, because he doesn't speak Mandarin anyway.  
  
Lu Han nods. "I work as a translator."  
  
Jongin hums and sets a steaming cup of tea in front of Lu Han. Lu Han mirrors Jongin when he brings his own cup up for a whiff, nodding approvingly at his actions.  
  
It's proper tea etiquette- smell, savour, sip, taste. It's an art as much as wine tasting is. "Pu Er," Lu Han says appreciatively. "This is good tea."  
  
"Aged 20 years. My father bought it from Yunnan last spring." Small talk effectively done, it's time to get down to business. He opens the folder already set on the table and gestures for Lu Han to read the lines and lines of fine print. Automatically, his body folds into the business stance, the one he's perfected over the years of convincing customers- right shoulder slightly inclined towards the customer, finger tips pressed lightly together, eyes searching and genuine. It gives off the effect that he cares as much as the customer does, that he's invested in knowing more. Jongin isn't helping the customer; he is working together with the customer to chase what should've been the customer's in the first place. In reality, Jongin could just be thinking about tonight's dinner. No one has been able to tell so far.  
  
"You understand what we do?" A nod from Lu Han. "We charge a basic fee on an hourly basis. The customer pays for all additional expenses- travel, accommodation, if necessary, and other miscellaneous fees outlined here." Jongin uncaps a highlighter and draws it across the line in question. "If you pull out halfway through, or if we can't find your first love within 6 months, you only get half your money back. But don’t worry, our success rate is 97%."  
  
Explanation done, Jongin looks straight into Lu Han's eyes and hopes he conveys what his lips don't say, trust in us, and we'll find your first love.  
  
Lu Han nods again. "Let me think about it."  
  
Jongin bows and sees Lu Han out the door, sending him off with a cheery, "Have a nice day!" After the door swings shut, Jongin pencils in an appointment on Friday for Lu Han. He'll come back.  
  
They always do.  
  
  
  
  
  
They meet in a cafe in Cheongdamdong, because he's learned from experience that clients liked it when they sit in a cosy cafe with brick wall and jazz music closing them in. The atmosphere is cosy and lulls clients into a false sense of security, makes them relax enough to spill out their love stories to an almost stranger. Around them, young couples flirt openly with each other over tea and little cakes. Jongin and Lu Han are jarringly out of place in a sea full of lovebirds, but Lu Han seems so relaxed, Jongin suspects he comes to places like these often. He does look like the type of man who sits in cafes all day, reading philosophical novels while sipping on an espresso, oblivious to the admiring stares of the female customers around him.  
  
"Mind if I record this?" Jongin asks, setting the pen shaped recorder on the table.  
  
Lu Han eyes the recorder warily and shakes his head. "No, go ahead."  
  
Jongin jumps straight to the point. Lu Han is paying him by the hour; might as well use it wisely. First consultations are at a discounted rate though. "How long did you date her?"  
  
"Him," Lu Han corrects. He frowns down at his fruit tart, poking the strawberry tart with his fork.  
  
Jongin doesn't miss a beat. "How long did you date him?" He needs to stop generalizing. It's a mental note he files away.  
  
"I didn't."  
  
Jongin cocks his head and exhales loud enough that Lu Han looks up, startled. "Ah, but unrequited first loves ... usually don't turn out well even if I find them."  
  
"I'm not asking for much," Lu Han admits, fingers playing with the rim of his cup. "I don't even know if he's gay."  
  
Okay, so maybe Jongin severely underestimated this client. He runs his finger across the rim of his coffee cup, smearing the leftover foam from where he had a sip.  
  
"How did you meet him then?"  
  
  
  
  
  
Kris Wu is the reason why Lu Han is in Korea. Lu Han came to Yonsei University as an exchange student, an International Business major with no intentions to stay longer than a semester. Beijing was starting to be stifling and he needed to escape.  
  
"If I've had my fill of exploring," Lu Han explains, his eyes bright and earnest, "then I would have no regrets when I start working."  
  
Jongin nods and sets his cup down. Once, Jongin too had entertained a different life from the drones of mindless graduates flooding the working field. His teenaged life was marred with endless failed auditions and a choking love of dance that led him on a chase for disillusioned dreams. Now these dreams are nothing but what ifs, but he's content with what he's doing, even if he barely gets by.  
  
Lu Han and Kris met at a party thrown by Kim Jongdae, a friend that Lu Han shares his Marketing classes with. Lu Han was celebrating the end of his exams, and Kris was just celebrating.  
  
"Our eyes met over the keg," Lu Han giggles in the present, the most comfortable he's been since Jongin has met him. "It was one of those romance novel moments."  
  
Conversation flowed easily between the two after Lu Han hiccupped out a _hi_ in Mandarin in his tipsiness, and Kris had jumped upon the slip like an enthusiastic puppy, quickly offering the fact that he was Chinese as well. It turned out that Kris was roommates with the same Yixing that Lu Han was tutoring.  
  
One hour turned into two, and between shots of vodka and the humid summer weather, he found himself telling Kris more than he wanted to. He confessed that studying abroad was harder than he thought and he was considering cutting his semester short.  
  
"Do you know what he told me, that bastard?"  
  
Jongin shakes his head as prompted, and Lu Han continues with a quirk of his lips and his eyes far away, his voice taking on a wistful tone, "He looked me in the eye, and I swear to God, told me it was because I hadn't met him yet. It was the cheesiest thing I've ever heard, but under the moonlight, Kris looked beautiful."  
  
Kris tried his best to make Lu Han fit in, bringing him around to Seoul's nook and crannies and showing him the beauty of Korea. It was a no brainer why Lu Han would be drawn to him, the first person to actively reach out and try to bring Lu Han out of his shell.  
  
The week after, Kris disappeared.  
  
  
  
Yixing mumbled a vague excuse about family and refused to tell more despite Lu Han's insistent questions. He told him not to wait anymore, because Kris probably wouldn't be coming back.  
  
"But he promised me that we would see the cherry blossoms together," Lu Han says to Jongin now, the slight waver in his voice betraying his emotions. Jongin pretends not to see the sudden glossiness of Lu Han's eyes and busies himself with his cake to allow Lu Han a few moments to compose himself.  
  
Nevertheless, Lu Han extended his visa for another semester, and another, and soon he was graduating from Yonsei with a degree in International Business and a minor in Korean.  
  
Kris Wu is the reason why Lu Han is in Korea, and Lu Han wants to find his reason back.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Jongin starts off with his usual procedures and does a routine search on the internet. He doesn’t tell his clients that half the time, their long-lost first love can easily be tracked via an old Cyworld account or through the trendier Facebook accounts. Everyone leave behind a trail on the internet like virtual cookie crumbs, and it’s almost impossible to wipe the internet of traces of yourself.  
  
Almost impossible. Aside from a short except in an article from Kris’s Yonsei days quoting him on the treatment of international students (“My life in Korea is fantastic, but I’ve had my downs.”) and a notice including him in the list of honour roll students, he draws a blank. He does however manage to get a full name, Wu YiFan, which is more than enough for Jongin to go on to plan B.  
  
“You’re going to get me fired one day,” Minseok mumbles into his coffee, all the while keeping an eye out for any supervisors that might drop by. As a rookie paralegal, he’s allowed to have visitors, but Jongin tends to come with the most prickly of proposals. “What you’re doing is illegal in Korea.”  
  
“Aww, come on, Minseok,” Jongin says good-naturedly, bumping Minseok’s shoulder with an elbow and almost causing him to spit out his coffee. “You’re a romantic guy!”  
  
He draws up a chair and plops down into it, resting his chin on his hands. “You’ll like this story. Pretty exchange student comes to Korea and falls in love, except lover boy disappears.”  
  
“The classic jilted female lover?” Minseoks asks with a raised brow. “Isn’t that 99% of your clients?”  
  
The jilted male lover,” Jongin corrects. “And they never dated.” He bites his grin in at Minseok’s pinched face, knowing that the older man is fighting his own curiosity. It’s only a matter of time and-  
  
“Alright, what’s his name,” Minseok says with an air of resignation. Most of the information that Jongin requests are from public records fully accessible to anyone with the right identification, but it doesn’t make what he’s doing any less unethical and illegal. Still, he can never say no to a good love story. Jongin kicks back his feet and waits as Minseok hunches over his computer, keying in the characters. “There’s no record of there ever being a Wu YiFan in the immigration lists, unless your man is a balding 60 year old or a 3 year old child.”  
  
“Cross-check the university records with anyone that has travelled to Korea on a student visa in the past 5 years?“ At Minseok’s increasing frown, Jongin pulls out his best smile, the one that gets him extra shots and free muffins in cafes staffed with teenaged girls. “Pretty please?”  
  
Minseok hesitates. “I’ve got a hit, but… you’d better see for yourself.”  
  
Jongin leans over to peer at the screen and what he sees makes him raise his eyebrows.  
  
  
  
  
  
Jongin calls Lu Han out on a particularly sunny day and they arrange to meet at the park near Jongin’s office, because Lu Han insisted that it was too nice a day to stay inside. They bump into each other right outside Jongin’s office and walk to the park together, stopping by an ice cream stall because Lu Han is distracted by the sweets and Jongin can’t say no.  
  
Texts with Lu Han have quickly evolved from simple, clipped updates to replies littered with emoticons (Lu Han seems to have a preference for smiley faces), but he’s still surprised to find that Lu Han in a good mood is completely different from the subdued man he saw sitting in his office during their first meeting.  
  
"Your man's a bit dodgy," Jongin begins once they’ve settled down on a bench, Lu Han’s surprisingly childish needs satisfied.  
  
Lu Han is focusing on the drop of ice-cream currently escaping from his cone and he darts out his tongue to catch it, eyes crossing in the effort. It’s a rainbow flavoured cone, which Jongin teased him relentlessly about, even if Jongin likes it every once in a while. “You found him?”  
  
“We’re working on it.” Jongin stares down at his own boring chocolate cone. This all feels a bit familiar, like he’s hanging out with a friend, and not being paid a hundred bucks per “consultation”. When he’s having fun like this, swinging his feet and laughing at the rainbow mess splattered across Lu Han’s jeans to Lu Han’s pouts, he’s not even sure where to draw the line between casual hang outs and business meetings.  
  
“Oh. Then why call me out?”  
  
For once, Jongin is at a loss of words. He chooses to brush it aside, ignoring the smirk Lu Han is hiding in his cone. “I’ll get in touch with you later.”  
  
“Hey,” Lu Han cocks his head. “Wanna watch a movie?”  
  
Jongin has a client penciled in at 4pm but that’s hours away. They end up watching a B-grade horror flick that has Jongin jumping at every creak and shout.  
  
“I bet she’s going to have her throat slit here,” Lu Han whispers gleefully, prodding Jongin to remove the fingers covering his eyes. When Jongin buries his face in Lu Han’s shoulder, Jongin can feel them shaking in silent laughter.  
  
Her throat remains intact throughout the movie. Her friend is not as lucky. When the decapitated head drops to the ground, Jongin shrieks loud enough for the high school girls next to them to titter. Jongin grabs a bunch of popcorn and discreetly throws it at Lu Han to get him to stop laughing.  
  
“You look so old right now,” he says spitefully, pointing out the laugh lines that etch across Lu Han’s face.  
  
“Yeah well,” Lu Han shrugs with this shit-eating grin that Jongin just wants to kis- wipe off.  
  
“I can’t believe I thought you were quiet,” Jongin grumbles.  
  
Someone behind them shushes them and Jongin winces under the shower of popcorn thrown their way. He gladly hunches down his seat, pressing his lips firmly together.  
  
Lu Han’s fingers close around his elbow as an apology and remain there until the credits roll, rubbing lightly during the scarier parts. When they walk out of the theatre, Jongin can’t even remember how the rest of the movie went.  
  
  
  
  
  
Later comes in barely a week.  
  
It's 2AM but the phone goes through after only two rings. The voice that comes through the phone is clear, not muffled with sleep like Jongin expects it to be.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Lu Han?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"You're coming with me to Japan."  
  
"Okay."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
It's colder in Nagoya than Seoul, spring a little late for this part of the country. Jongin has been to Nagoya only once before but even he knows that the weather now is abnormally cold, even for winter.  
  
"You understand that this trip could turn up fruitless? And you've just wasted a whole lot of money on finding a John Doe?" Jongin asks around a mouthful of ramen.  
  
He's been in this business for a while, and he still doesn't understand why people fork out obscene amounts of money to chase after a ghost figure. Half the time, clients find out that the person they're finding has changed, and that they themselves have changed.  
  
"It's just..." Lu Han struggles for the word. "Closure?"  
  
That is a word Jongin hears his clients use a lot. He figures it's why some people try to recreate a distant memory- we could have been happy then, maybe we can be happy still?  
  
"So you're willing to run around the world chasing him, without knowing his sexual preference?"  
  
Lu Han hesitates, his chopsticks high in the air. "I just need to know."  
  
Jongin understands, but he says, only half-jokingly, "In some cultures, that would be considered stalking."  
  
It's an awfully serious conversation to be had in a neighbourhood ramen place. Lu Han places a gyoza on Jongin's ramen and Jongin snatches it up immediately, not wanting the fried ends to soften from the soup. "I'm putting my trust in you, Kim Jongin."  
  
Trust. Jongin watches Lu Han tackle a gyoza of his own and swallows down the guilt.  
  
"His name isn't Kris Wu." he breaks the news only now, having held this crucial information in for a week. He planned to tell him before they flew here but somehow he couldn't. Jongin tries to tell himself that it's purely because Lu Han might decline an overseas trip to find a man that faked his name, lost revenue and what not, but Jongin has been around enough lovesick people to have a hint of what he's really feeling. It's not something he wants to dwell on.  
  
He could have told Lu Han on the plane, when it was too late to back out, but Lu Han's face had flushed with delight at the clouds and Jongin lost the heart to tell him, settling on trying to make Lu Han laugh as many times as possible on the hour-long journey instead.  
  
Lu Han's face is impassive now, but Jongin has learned to read his eyes. The thought comes to him so quickly that it surprises him. He doesn't know Lu Han. They are investigator and client, only acquainted barely a month ago, and yet Jongin knows when Lu Han is wearing his mask.  
  
“I’m sorry, I should have told you earlier,” Jongin says. “Do you still want to find him?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
Jongin can't explain the little curl of dissatisfaction in his throat. "I'm just ironing out the details with my informant. He'll have the details over by tomorrow."  
  
"Okay."  
  
  
  
  
  
The walk back to the hotel is quiet.  
  
Jongin is not used to conversations. He deals with people, yes, but he’s a puffed up version of himself in front of his clients. He just needs to put on a magical front, promise them all their dreams like he's a genie in a high school play.  
  
He doesn't do social interaction. But with Lu Han it's easy. Lu Han is the kind of person who blooms the more he knows him, letting him in with each smile that they share. Lu Han has become comfortable enough to poke Jongin in the cheek when Jongin swings around to check for luggage.  
  
Lu Han, Jongin acknowledges with a lump in his throat as he watches Lu Han toss and turn in the bed adjacent to his, has ceased being just another client.  
  
  
  
  
  
Jongin wakes up the next morning to an email with the million dollar attachment.  
  
By the time Lu Han is up, Jongin is waiting for him, hotel breakfast ordered and set out.  
  
"We found him."  
  
"Yeah?" For someone who has spent thousands of dollars looking for his lost love, Lu Han doesn't look all that happy to have found him.  
  
"His name is Kevin Li. He ran away from home when he was twenty to escape his familial obligations but was pulled back to Guangzhou when his family threatened to cut him out of the will." He slides a photo across the table at Lu Han. "Is this him?"  
  
"I will recognise that face anywhere," Lu Han breathes, holding the photograph gently with two hands.  
  
“Good, because I got us invites to the party he’s throwing tonight.”  
  
Lu Han sounds startled, “I will need a suit.”  
  
The party is thrown at one of the grandest hotels in Nagoya. “Yes, you will.” Jongin almost comments on how Lu Han’s first reaction to finding his first love is his choice of attire, but instead he pulls his phone out to look for clothing stores around their area.  
  
  
  
  
  
Kevin Li is a handsome man. It's easy to see how Lu Han could have fallen in love with him, because Kevin radiates charm as he flits around the room, greeting his guests and welcoming them to the party with a sincerity that would be hard to fake.  
  
Zhang Yixing laughs and snakes his arms around Kevin's waist. They are obviously very much in love, from the way Kevin's fingers curl protectively around Yixing's shoulder to the way Yixing leans automatically into Kevin's embrace. When Yixing reaches up to wipe some crumbs from the side of Kevin's mouth, the glimmer of the diamond on his finger is much too obnoxious to miss.  
  
"Let's go," Lu Han says quietly, tugging at Jongin's arm, and Jongin puts up no resistance. They slip out unnoticed, two shadows lost among a crowd of cheerful partygoers.  
  
"I'm sorry," Jongin offers, not knowing what to say. He's usually never around for this part of the job. Usually his job ends when he hands the client an envelope of information, and he ushers them out before he sees their reactions.  
  
Lu Han holds his head up, his eyes suspiciously wet. Still, a determined smile stretches across his face. "We have three days left in japan. Let's not waste it."  
  
  
  
  
  
He's not obligated to play tour guide to his client. It's more economically viable to change their plane tickets and go home, but somehow it's easier to follow Lu Han's whims, especially when he looks so lost and fragile.  
  
They end up in a small neighbourhood bar, the only customers in the store that seats no more than five tables.  
  
Jongin tips his glass down and lets out a guttural sound at the burn. "Soju is still better."  
  
Lu Han laughs, hiding his grin in his own sip. "You and your silly Korean patriotism. Should I start talking about how rice wine originated from China?"  
  
Jongin points at Lu Han in mock anger. "You don't know that."  
  
They settle down into a comfortable rhythm, refilling each other's sake glasses and toasting nothing at all.  
  
"What were you expecting?"  
  
"Nothing," Lu Han admits. "I needed to see the end. That's the only way I can start over.1”  
  
"I don't get it," Jongin pushes on, alcohol loosening his lips. "If you never saw it to the end, you would have retained the good memories.2"  
  
"Closure," Lu Han reminds him softly.  
  
"Closure." Jongin tilts his glass and watches the clear liquid slosh onto the bar top. Soju is better anyway.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Jongin looks up at the tall structure. He didn’t plan on heading here, but somehow they did. Kevin is the only thing holding them together and Jongin is grasping at straws, not knowing why he has to cling to a shattered dream, but doing it anyway. Lu Han tilts his head, bringing a hand up to shield his eyes from the sun. The glass walls of the building reflect the strong noon sunlight and draws attention to it even among a mess of buildings in the busiest parts of Nagoya.  
  
“So, Kris- Kevin owns this, huh.”  
  
“One day he will,” Jongin confirms. “Part of it anyway.”  
  
Kevin’s family is the largest shareholder in the massive conglomerate that owns a good number of factories across Asia. They’re in everything from food products to real estate but are best known for clothing and footwear.  
  
It took some convincing on Jongin’s part to nudge Lu Han into coming here. “You paid for it,” he reminded Lu Han and Lu Han had laughed bitterly.  
  
“I paid for a pipe dream.”  
  
“You paid for an illusion and I will complete it.”  
  
They stand in silence until Lu Han bumps Jongin’s shoulder, impatience lining his voice. “So where to next?”  
  
Jongin has no plans beyond the fancy building. “The port?”  
  
  
  
  
  
They make it to the port just past lunch, just as the stream of office workers trickle back to work with their stiff ties and weary smiles.  
  
Jongin looks at the identical brown brief bags that all the businessmen hold and exchanges a look of understanding with Lu Han. Perhaps Lu Han is imagining Kevin in the exact same suit, barking quick orders into his blackberry.  
  
Tourist is as tourist do, so they head to the Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium. Neither of them have been to an aquarium since they were children and Jongin admits that he feels a bit silly queuing up for tickets among a sea of excited children and couples. He averts his eyes when he catches a young woman tiptoe to peck her boyfriend on his lips and feels oddly relieved to see that Lu Han has his attention directed elsewhere.  
  
“I don’t know Japanese.” Lu Han points to the plastic sign with a cartoon apologetic dolphin. _All shows in Japanese only! Sorry!_  
  
“Neither do I,” Jongin shrugs but they purchase tickets anyway.  
  
It turns out that language is restrictive but the joy of watching adorable dolphins wave is universal.  
  
“A Chinese and a Korean watching sea lions clap their hands in Japanese,” Lu Han muses and Jongin would reply but when he opens his mouth, all that comes out is a shriek.  
  
“I’ll get you,” Jongin yells at the sea lion, who looks much too human with the mischievous twitch of its whiskers. It waddles off and slips into the water, satisfied with attracting the attention of the two distracted audience members.  
  
They really shouldn’t have chosen the front few rows when it’s so cold out, especially now that their clothes are drenched. But it’s okay. Lu Han is laughing openly, flicking his hair left and right to rain more water droplets on Jongin.  
  
It’s all part of the Nagoya experience.  
  
  
  
  
  
On the last day, Jongin takes Lu Han out without telling him where he’s bringing him.  
  
"It's a surprise," he says mysteriously, ushering Lu Han into the train and ignoring Lu Han’s yelp of indignance.  
  
Yamazakigawa riverside is mainly still bare, too early for the cherry blossoms to bloom. Small buds decorate the trees, with a few early bloomers defying the seasons and popping out, too eager to wait for a warmer spring. Jongin had hoped for more flowers but as he watches Lu Han staring in wonder at the trees stretching along the river, Jongin doesn’t think he minds that much.  
  
"The flowers don't bloom until April, so we're early. I'm sorry, I wanted to show you the cherry blossoms. We'll come here again next time-" Jongin catches himself in time and stops, mortified at how far ahead he's getting. Next time?  
  
Thankfully, Lu Han doesn’t notice his slip up. "Thank you." he tilts his head up, eyes falling shut blissfully.  
  
It's a scene ripped from every anime Jongin has ever seen. The pretty boy under a shower of cherry blossom petals, silhouette perfectly framed in the sunlight. Jongin is spellbound, just a shade shy of heart shaped eyes and Shoujo sparkles. Some petals settle on Lu Han’s cheek, the soft pink as smooth as Lu Han’s fair skin.  
  
"You've-" Jongin gestures at Lu Han's face and before he can stop himself, he leans forward to blow softly at Lu Han's cheek. Lu Han's eyes flutter open and when their eyes meet, Jongin finally understands why people travel the world to recapture that one memory.  
  
They stand there, locked into place by a sizzling current of energy, Lu Han with his face upturned to match Jongin's taller build.  
  
It's almost magnetic, the way they fall together. They close the gap together, not knowing who makes the first move. Lu Han's fingers reach up to curl into Jongin's shoulder blades like it's the most natural thing in the world and Jongin registers the warmth up his back before he feels the touch on his lips. Maybe it's been too long since he's had a human touch but everything feels unfamiliar and yet he's drawn in.  
  
They kiss sweet and slow, not wanting to rush. It seems only right to savour the moment, spend time memorizing the contours of each other’s lips in this romantic setting. Scene one, end. The credits roll, the cheery music plays. And they lived happily ever after. Jongin has never been more happy to be a cliché anime.  
  
  
  
  
  
“I’m sorry for taking advantage of you so soon after your heartbreak,” Jongin says solemnly, later as they sit curled up under a cherry blossom tree. Jongin lies on Lu Han’s lap and lets Lu Han card his fingers through his hair, softly messing up and smoothing down his bangs.  
  
“You bad, resourceful man,” Lu Han says but it’s hard to keep up the poker face when giggles keep bubbling to the surface.  
  
“Only the worst,” Jongin agrees and turns his head to breathe into Lu Han’s stomach, breath tickling Lu Han and making him laugh more.  
  
"You mentioned that your first case was for yourself. Did you ever find your first love?" Lu Han asks, curiosity shining bright in his eyes.  
  
Jongin shuts his eyes and thinks about her, how happy she seemed with her son and the way she smiled at her husband. Then he opens his eyes to see Lu Han smiling down at him, beautiful and exquisite. There is only one answer. "I’m working on finding my next one, but I don't think I'll have to look far."  
  
The blossoms of love don’t need seasons to bloom.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"Are you sure this is the place?" Kyungsoo whispers, staring warily up at the dimly lit staircase.  
  
Chanyeol chews on a hang nail nervously, a habit left over from his time spent quitting smoking. "I'm sure. If anyone can find Baekhyun, this agency will be the one."  
  
Kyungsoo runs a finger across the address scribbled on his dog-eared notebook and holds it up against the address printed on the metal plate by the staircase. "Third floor. I hope they can. You've pined over Baekhyun long enough."  
  
What they find when they reach the third floor isn't the answer to their dreams, but a dusty door, with a sign plastered across.  
  
  
  
  
  


The first love doesn't necessarily have to be the first person.3  
Stop chasing pipe dreams and find your true happiness.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


end.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
hi! wow this took me over a year to complete. i don’t actually remember how the film this is based on goes now (there was india, lots of singing, a lot of blurred, semi-dreamy scenes) but i wanted to recreate the feel of the film. i hope i gave it justice.  
  
i adapted some direct quotes from the film, and these are the prompts that started this whole thing. i claim no credit for the below quotes!  
  
1 "I need to see the end. that's the only way I can start over.  
2 "If you don't finish something, the good feeling is still intact."  
3 “The first love doesn’t necessarily have to be the first person.”  
  
thanks for reading!  
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